DECISION 2012: Ann Marie Buerkle

A native of Auburn, Ann Marie Buerkle is a nurse, healthcare attorney, mother of six and grandmother of thirteen. After graduating as an R.N. from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, Buerkle worked at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse. For many years while raising her family, she was a substitute school nurse. In 1994, she obtained a J.D. from Syracuse University School of Law.

Buerkle served as an assistant attorney general for New York state from 1997 until deciding to run for Congress in 2009. She is a former member of the Syracuse Common Council, a former volunteer legal council for abused persons at the Vera House crisis shelter, and former volunteer legal council for Syracuse families through the Onondaga County Bar Association’s Pro Bono program.

Buerkle defeated Dan Maffei for the 24th district seat in 2010.

What have you accomplished during your first term? How will you carry those accomplishments forward? What do you hope to accomplish with a second term?

As your member of Congress, I am proud of the record that I have built in my two years in Washington. I have worked tirelessly to advance the ideals of the people of this district who elected me as their representative. Issues such as the economy, job creation, and the preservation of Medicare and Social Security have taken center stage in the district and will no longer be avoided for political expediency. I have also passed legislation highlighting the needs of our returning veterans and honoring their commitments to our nation. And I have sponsored several symposiums and listening tours around the district to be sure that I am always connecting everything that I do in Washington to the voices and concerns around the district. Perhaps what I am most proud of is the level of dedication I have put toward constituent service. The ability to help constituents struggling to receive benefits or to navigate the maze of federal agencies is an honor for me.